Shedding mechanism for looms



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. LAGEY.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

No. 484,326. Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

v [wax 75R- M (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. LAOEY.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

No. 484,326. Q Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

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FRED LAGEY, OF ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEDDING' MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,326, dated October11, 1892.

Application filed September 23, 1891. Serial No. 406,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED LACEY, a citizen of the United States,residingat Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State of-Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShedding Mechanism for Looms, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to shedding mechanisms for looms and in particularto what are known as dobbies. Shedding mechanisms for looms may bedivided into two general classes-namely, those which are known as closeshed and those which are known as open shed. In the class firstmentioned each shed in the warp is formed by moving warp-threads out ofthe normal plane of the warp-threads in the loom, all of the threadsthus moved out of the said plane being returned thereto afterapick ofweft-thread has been introduced andprior to the formation of a new shedfor the reception of the next Weft-thread. In the other class, ifcertain of the warp-threads are to appear on the same side of theweft-thread for two or more consecutive picks, such warp-threads will becaused to remain in the posit-ion into which they were at first moveduntil after all of such picks have been introduced. It is founddesirable to employ open-shed harness-operating mechanism in weavingcertain materials and when it is desired to produce certain fabrics,while the use of close-shed harness-operating mechanism is deemed bestin the case of others. There is in use at the present time a form ofopen-shed dobby, in which each of the harness-levers has pivoted theretoa lever, this latter lever being sometimes termed a connector. Hookedjacks, which are pivoted to the opposite ends'of this connector, extendoutward horizontally from the connector, one jack at a distance abovethe other, and beneath each horizontal series of the jacks pertaining tothe series of harness-levers employed in the loom plays ahorizontally-reciprocating bar called a lifter, the jacks being underthe control of a patternchain and intermediate connections, by means ofwhich the jacks may be either lifted out of position to be engaged bythelifters or may be dropped into position to be engaged thereby. Thelifters alternate in their reciprocations, one thereof moving outward asthe other moves inward, and one or the other of the two lifters movesoutward prior to each pick of the loom. When in their normal innerposition with the jacks disengaged from the lifters and theharness-frames in their depressed normal position,both ends of theconnectors rest against fixed back-stop bars. If now either of the jackspivoted to a connector is permitted to become engaged with a lifter asthe said lifter moves outward justprior to apick, the corresponding endof the connector will be moved outward and the connector will turn, ason a pivot, on that portion of the other end which rests against thecorresponding back-stop bar, the harness-lever and harness-frame beingchanged in position in consequence of the movement of the connector.When the lifter just referred to movesinward after the said pick andprior to the next pick, the jack and corresponding end ofthze connectorto which it is pivoted also move inward and the harness-lever andconnected harness-frame return to their original positions unless theotherjack pivoted to the connector is permitted to become engaged by theother lifter, in which event the harnesslever and harness-frame areheldfrom returning to their original positions and the warpthreadscontrolled by the said harness-frame appear on the same side of the weftat the next pick 'of the latter. In this case, as the first jack movesinward withits lifter the other jack moves outward with its lifter, andthe result is that the connector simply is swung on the pivot whichjoins it to the harness-lever, while the harness-lever, l1arness-frame,and the connected warp-threads remain in the position into which theyformerly were movednamely, that for the 'open shed. This form of dobbyis a general favorite, and great numbers of such dobbies have beenapplied to looms; but, as ordinarily constructed and arranged, it isunfit for doing work of the close-shed character, because oftheimpossibility of causing a harness-frame which has been raised forone pick of weft to return to the close-shed position and then riseagain prior to the succeeding pick. Heretofore when a mill has had thelooms therein equipped with open-shed dobments in a dobby of the generalcharacter of that which has been described and will first be describedin connection with the illustration thereof in the accompanyingdrawings,and then will be particularly pointed out in the claim at the close ofthis specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of portion of a loom,showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a View in verticalsection of a part of the devices shown in Fig.1; and Fig. 3 is a view ofa portion of a pattern-chain, illustrating the manner in y which thepegs or pins are to be arranged thereon.

Certain of the parts shown in the drawings, as will be understood, aresuch as have heretofore been employed in looms and thedobbies usuallyapplied thereto. These parts may be described, briefly, as follows,

A is the loom-frame. B is the crank-shaft of the loom mounted in thesaid frame.

0 are the harness-frames of the loom.

D are the harness-levers, to which the harness-frames are connected bycording E, and F are pulleys or sheaves around which the cording passes.In whatare known asspringdobbies the cording E is interposed only between the upper ends of the harness-levers and the upper sides of theharness-frames, and springs (not herein shown) are employed to draw downthe harness-frames after the latter have been lifted, these springsbeing connected with the under sides of the harness-frames. In whatisknown asapositive dobby, which is the varietylhave chosen to illustrate,the cording is connected with boththe upper and the lower sides of theharness-frames and with the opposite ends of the harness-levers, asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the harness-levers are actuated insuch a manner as to move the barness-frames positivelyin bothdirections, the springs being omitted.

D is the rod on which the harnessdevers are pivotally mounted.

(I are the connectors pivotally mounted on the harness-levers.

P are the back-stop bars against which the upper and lower ends of theconnectors rest normally.

care the hooked jacks pivoted to the opposite ends of the connectors.

a are the lifters moving in slots 9 in the frame of the dobby.

b arerods connecting the ends of the lifters withthe oppositeextremities of the arms H, mounted at both ends of the rock-shaft I. hare the vertical needles or wires, upon the upper ends of which theupper series of jacks rests, and Zare the pattern-levers orindicator-fingers pivotally mounted on .rod 1 and having upturned innerextremities, of which extremities those marked tact directly against theunder sides of the jacks of the lower series, these jacks resting onsaid extremities, while the extremities marked support the lower end ofthe vertical wires or needles h. The weighted ends of the pattern-levers l overhang a pattern barrel n and are acted upon, asusual, bypegs or pins 0, inserted into holesn' in the bars of the pattermehain m,the said pattern-barrel 'n being provided with a ratchetwheel it, whichis engaged by the pawl 11, connected with one end of one-of the leversor arms H, the pattern-barrel being given thereby a movement forward ofone step at each inward movement of the lower lifter.

The parts of the dobby as thus far described, when combined with meansfor irnparting an oscillating motion to the rockshaft I, constitute allthat it is usual to employ in a spring-dobby. In a positive dobby thereare combined with the foregoing checkbars 0 O, which are notched orrabbeted on their under sides and disposed on the frame of the dobbyadjacent to the free ends of the hooked jacks, above such free ends,

and in position to be engaged by the latter when the pattern connectionsoperate to lift the jacks out of position to become engaged by thelifters, in order that the jacks thus lit ted may be prevented fromhaving any unintentional outward movement whatever;

also, the depressors ff are provided, these be ing placed in inclinedslots ggin the dobbyframe adjacent to the upper and lower ends of theconnectors d and being connected at their ends by the rods 0 c to theends of the lifters. These depressors thereby are caused to move withthe adjacent litters and in the same direction therewith, respectively,and in operation they act, respectively,as the correspending liftersmoveinward to carry inward positively the adjacent ends of theconnectors which were 'moved out-ward in the last outward movement ofthe lifters.

There isnothing new in either the springdobby or 'the positive, dobby,so far as described. In the ordinary dobby the rock-shaft- I is actuatedand the dobby thereby is oper ated through an arm K thereon,which isconnected bya rod Lwith the operative mechanism of the. loom to whichthe dobby is applied.

Usually the said rod is connected with a crank or other device wherebythe rock-shaft isgiven one complete oscillation or reciprocation foreach two picks of the loom. The result of this is that one lifter movesoutward at one pick of the loom simultaneously with the inward movementof the other lifter, and the latterlifter moves outward at the next picksimultaneously with the inward movement of the first lifter. Inconsequence the dobby is operative only on the open-shed principle,because there is no provision whereby a harness-frame that has beenraised duringthe outward movement of alifter forone pick can be returnedto its normal position and raised again prior to the succeeding pick,as. is ,required in close-shed weaving when the same warp-threads are tobe lifted for successive sheds. In furtherance of, my present inventionand with the object in View of rendering the dobby operative ontheclose-shed principle I connect the rod L with a crank-pin M on a diskN, carried by the crank-shaft B of the loom, or by equivalent means Iactuate the said rods with such speed and timing as to secure a completeoscillation of the rock-shaft I and a complete reciprocation of eachofrthe lifters for every rotation of the crank-shaft, and consequentlyfor every pick of the loom. It is to be understood that I am aware thatit is not new, broadly, to operate the rockshaft I with such timing asto occasion a complete reciprocation thereof at every rotation of thecrank-shaft. This has been proposed before, and,also, in the endeavor tofit a dobby for close-shed weaving. How-' ever, in the only case atpresent known to me in which a dobby has beenadapted for closeshedweaving the connections intermediate the rock-shaft and one ofthelifters and its connected depressor have been modified, so that that themovements of the said lifter and depressor have been reduced one-half,and in addition the hooked jacksVco-operating with such lifter have beenfreed from the control of the pattern devices and locked in engagementwith the lifter. Thereby the said lifter and its connected depresserhave been made operative to raise from the bottom portion of each shedto the central or closed plane of the shed just prior to the opening ofanew shed the warpthreads of all the harness, frames which were leftdown at the opening of the shed immediately preceding and afterward todepress the harness-frames which are not lifted in the formation ofthesaid new shed, the work of lifting the harnessframes to carry thewarp-threads thereof to the top plane of each shed in the order dictatedby the pattern and of afterward depressing them to the normal planedevolving upon the other lifter and its depressor.

By my invention, as will hereinafter be made to appear, I enable a dobbyto be employed for close-shed weaving without any change being made inthe mode of operation of the lifters and depressors or other-essentialparts thereof or any change being made in the actuating connections ofthe lifters and depressors. I also fit the dobby for being employed inthe production of fabrics wherein one part is woven on the close-shedprinciple and another part is woven on the openshed principle, the twoparts being woven simultaneously or successively, as desired. I secureall these results by providing means for operating the shaft I with thetiming described and by employing an arrangement of parts forcontrolling the jacks, in which, as shown in Fig.2 of the drawings, aseparate indicator-finger or pattern-lever Z is employe for eachindividual jack of both horizontal series of jacks, and thepattern-chain has for each finger or lever Z a line of perforations,into which pins are inserted as required. T jacks of both series ofjacks are thus individually and independently controlled by t epattern-chain, whereas, usually, both of the jacks, connected with aconnector, are un e the control of one and the same indicatorfinger orpattern-lever. There being two independent indicator fingers or leversfor each harness-lever, one of such levers controlling the jack which ispivoted to the upper end of the connector for the said harness-lever andthe other controlling the jack which is pivoted to the lower end of thesaid connector, either of the lifters, when desired, or both insuccession, may be made'to act in moving the harness-lever and raisingthe harness-frame. How this enables me to secure the desired resultswill be readily under- S ee rom the following. In consequence of c tingthe-rock-shaft I in a manner to oc- OEISiOIl a Complete oscillation ofthe same for each rotation of the crank-shaft of the loom One O thelifters'will be moved outward just prior to thefirst throw of theshuttle and inw rd right after said throw, while the other lifter willmake its outward moveme t simultaneously with. the inward movee of thefirst lifter, this outward movement and the return of the second lifterocg between two successive throws of the Sh ttle, and it will beobviousthat the sheds in hewarp-threads for the reception of the t-thread must,inasmuch as it is the only 1 which isso timed in its movements as to hein its outer position at the time-the shut-' H is thrown, be formedthrough the action lthelifterfirstmentioned. For operating aharness-fr'amein the manner required for ose-shed weaving'the pins orpegs of the pattern-chain will-be so placed on the sucessive bars of thechain as to act only upon he indicator or pattern lever or fingerwhichcontrols the jack engaging with the said lifter first mentioned, and inconsequence the other lifter will move to and fro without engaging withthe other of the jacks belonging to the said harness-frame. It will beobvious that a jack whenever engaged by the first lifter will be drawnoutward thereby prior to one pick and will be permitted to move inwardimmediately after that pick and before the formation of the next shed isbegun. For operating a harness-frame in the manner required foropen-shed weaving the pins or pegs of the pattern-chain will be soplaced on the successive bars of the chain as to act upon both of theindicator or pattern levers or fingers which control the jackspertaining to the harness-frame at those times when the saidharness-frame is to be held elevated continuously. Thereby both of thejacks may be permitted to fall into position to engage with the lifters,and in this event each litter in turn will become operative to lift ormaintain lifted the particular harness-frame which may be held upthrough as many picks as may be required. By suitably disposing the pinsor pegs in the holes of the pattern-chain a harness-frame may beoperated at one time as required for close-shed weaving and another timeas required in open-shed weaving, or while one harness-frame or seriesof harness-frames in a loom are being operated as required in close-shedweaving another harness-frame or set of harness-frames in the same 100mmay be operated asrequired for open-shed weaving.

In Fig. 3v of the drawings I have shown how the pins or pegs may heplaced in the holes of the bars of a pattern-chain for securing thedesired mode of operation of the harnessframes. line as w in the saidfigure I have represented by black dots the positions of the pins orpegs as required for close-shed weaving, while at the left-hand side ofthe said line I have represented the positions of the pins or pegs asrequired for open-shed weaving.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented all the pins or pegs fora single pick applied to a single bar of the pattern-chain and thepattern-chainas being moved forward one bar at eachv pick of the loom.The said pins or pegs, however, may be divided between two successivebars, and in this case the pattern-chain will be advanced one step 4prior to the outward movement of each lifter or twice for each pick.

A practical weaver will see that my invention is particularlyserviceable in the production of a fabric wherein the efiects due todifferent weaves and modes of weaving should appear in stripes side byside.

My invention is of particular service in cross-weaving. Heretofore insuch weaving,

when dobbies have been employed, it has been necessary usually to employspecial constructions and arrangements of parts for the At theright-hand sideot the dotted 1 purpose of lifting or easing up thewarpthreads under which the doups are caused to pass, and therebyfacilitating the movements of the doups and of the crossing warpthreads.

When using a dobby to which my invention has been applied, no change oraddition is necessary when it is desired to do crossweaving. All that isrequired is to arrange the pins or pegs in the bars of the patternchainin a manner similar to that in which they are arranged for close-shedweaving.

I claim as my invention 1. In a loom, a series of harness-frames,

harness-levers, cording connecting said harness-frames with saidharness-levers, a pair of hooked jacks operatively connected to each ofsaid levers, two lifters to engage with the books of the said hookedjacks. operating de- 1 vices 'for giving to each of the said lifters afull 1 forward and return motion for every revolution of thecrank-shat'tof the loom, patternindicating bars, means for moving the same, and twoindicating-fingers for each harnesslever, operated upon by thepattern-bars, all combined substantially as described.

2. In a loom, a series of harness-frames,

harness-levers, cording connecting said harness-frames with saidharness-levers, a pair of hooked jacks operatively connected to each iof said levers, two lifters for engaging with i the hooks of the saidhooked jacks, operating 1 devices for giving to each of said lifters afull f forward and return; motion for every revolution of thecrank-shaft of the loom, patterni indicating bars havingeach pick doublyindicated for open-shed formation and each 5 pick singly indicated forclose-shed formation, means for moving said bars, and twoindicating-fingers for each harness-lever operated upon by thepattern-bars, all combined and adapted to operate on both the open-shedprinciple and the close-shed principle at the same pick of the loom,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignaturein FRED LAGEY.

; presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

H. H. WELLINGTON, ALFRED B. MOLE.

